Robyn Amsel Mellon Konstantin's Whales 4 U Page

Robyn Amsel Mellon Konstantin
January 31, 1953 --- April 6, 1999



This site is: http://americanindian.net/Robyn.html


Late on April 6th, 1999, my wife, Robyn Amsel Mellon Konstantin, was killed in a car crash in west Texas. She was a dedicated Marine Biologist and lover of all animals, especially those of the oceans. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in her name to the

San Diego Oceans Foundation
"for Robyn"
P.O.Box 90672
San Diego, CA. 92169-2672

Phil Konstantin


Click here to see Robyn's Obituary

Click here to see a magazine article Phil wrote about Robyn's death.

Click here to see Robyn's whale pictures.

Video of Gray Whale close Encounter #1 with Robyn in 1997

Video of Gray Whale close Encounter #2 with Robyn in 1997

Video of Baby Gray Whale close Encounter with Robyn in 1998


The rest of this page remains as it was before Robyn died.

The Tips are still valid.



This Page will cover:

My trips to Mexico in 1997
Overland Travel Distances
Tips for people in American Waters
When is Gray Whale season
Where are they going?

I'm Back!
I was down in Baja California, Sur until March 25, 1998 as a naturalist on Magdalena Bay. I'll update my site soon with stories and pictures.

The whales are not as pleantiful here as they were in San Ignacio last year. On a typical day we will see maybe 6 whales, or pairs, up close. We finally had a long encounter with a "friendly" gray in mid- February. I do not know if it is "El Nino" related. There is a mouth (boca) to the lagoon nearby. From time to time, I have seen the adult grays surfing in the breakers here. There is much more wildlife here than in San Ignacio, though. There are birds galore. The mangroves are teeming with life. Magdalena Bay is due west of Ciudad Constitution.

That's it for this update, so until I return, here's..........

My trips to Mexico in 1997


I got married on MARCH 22nd, 1997. We went to BAJA CALIFORNIA, South for our honeymoon from March 24th through March 28th. We visited both San Ignacio Lagoon and Scammon's Lagoon (Ojo de Liebre) out of Guerrero Negro. These are two of the places that the California Gray Whales use for their winter home and breeding grounds. IT WAS FANTASTIC!!!

This was my second trip to San Ignacio Lagoon. I was the naturalist for a small tour group there in February, 1997. There were lots of whales at San Ignacio, mostly mothers and calves. We encountered many "friendly" whales. They would come right up to our small boat and let us touch them. I managed to collect some lice from one of them. At times, there were so many whales visible that we had a hard time deciding which ones to watch. On this trip I noticed more "hanky-panky" going on than in February. For those of you who have watched the migration from a boat in American waters & had to work hard to see one or two whales, this was a dream come true! We tried several different boat drivers. I highly recommend "MALDO." He obeyed the rules & he had an excellent touch when boating around the friendly whales.

The road to the Lagoon from the village of San Ignacio is an adventure in itself. You will have to ask directions in the village, because there are no signs. The road starts next to the dump. It is 58 kilometers of washboard roads through the back country desert. There is no water, gas, electricity or plumbing after the village, so you will need to bring your own. A truck, van or any vehicle with high ground clearance can make the trip. However, your Corvette may have some difficulties. If you love whales or want to "meet" one, the trip is worth it. Most of the people here speak some English, but Spanish helps.

While we were at Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, we encountered only 1 "friendly" mother & calf. We also only saw evidence of a dozen or so other whales in the area. The road to the Lagoon is 15 miles from #1 on a fairly flat graded dirt road. Follow the whale signs. You can save money by getting a boat ride at the lagoon rather than having them drive you or boat you out from Guerrero Negro. Almost any car can travel on this road through the salt flats. You can camp here, too. It was $3 to get in the park. Many of the people here speak English, but It helps if you can speak some Spanish.


While the season was almost over, of the two, San Ignacio was by far the better place to go.


Overland Travel Distances


San Diego (downtown) to San Ignacio Lagoon..........601 miles
San Diego to Guerrero Negro.........................468 miles
San Ignacio to San Ignacio Lagoon................... 39 miles



TIPS FOR PEOPLE IN AMERICAN WATERS:

FOR BOATS:

1. Whale watching boats are required to stay, at least 
   100 yards (meters) from all whales.

2. Boats should not place themselves in any position 
   which would make the whale alter its course, or to 
   change its breathing or diving pattern.

3. You should try to navigate a course which will parallel 
   the whale's course, rather than intersect it or come 
   on it head-on.

FOR "WATCHERS": 1. For "California" Gray Whales, look for a "V" shaped geyser coming from the water. This is the blow or spout coming from their double blow hole. This happens when they surface and exhale. The old whaling movies always have a scene where a sailor yells, "Thar she blows!" This is what they are talking about. 2. Occasionally, if you are lucky, the whale will lift a large part of its body out of the water. This is called a "breach." A large splash will follow. 3. Although the diving patterns of species differ, Gray whales will come to the surface to breath 2 to 4 times before they take a deep dive. They will then stay under for about five minutes
WHEN IS THE GRAY WHALE SEASON?: The Southern California season lasts from late December to May, depending on many circumstances.
WHERE ARE THEY GOING? The Gray Whale leaves its summer home above the Arctic Circle, north of Alaska, to the warmer waters of Baja California for the winter breeding and calving season.
This is the longest mammal migration in the world.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, SEND THEM TO MY E-MAIL BELOW. I AM A MARINE MAMMAL BIOLOGIST AND I AM AVAILABLE AS A GUIDE.


Click the lines below to go to.......

My Links Page
to many sites
Picture of a Gray Whale
in San Ignacio Lagoon
A Picture of my husband
and myself

Robyn Mellon Konstantin


P.O.BOX 17515
San Diego, Ca 92177-0515
United States





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picture courtesy of ccheroke





About Phil's Books

Four of the five books he has worked on. He either wrote, co-wrote, or contributed to each of these books

This is the cover to my first book. 
Click here to got more info, or to order a copy. Click on the cover to order a copy or to get more info.
To the left is a picture of the cover of my first book. "This Day in North American Indian History"
Click on the cover to order a copy or to get more info.
This Day in North American Indian History
From the book cover:
"For every calendar day, an in-depth look at the important events in the history of North America’s native peoples.

From the dedication of the Maya ballcourt at Chichen Itza in A.D. 864 to modern political activism and government legislation affecting native peoples, here is virtually every significant event in North American Indian history. It also includes fascinating information on hundreds of battles and skirmishes between Indians and whites, as well as countless treaties made and broken. An extensive appendix includes information about Indian tribal names and calendars. It’s all here—Indian chiefs, wars, massacres, treaties, reservations, modern constitutions and much, much more.

This Day in North American Indian History is a one-of-a-kind, vastly entertaining and informative book covering over 5000 years of North American Indian history, culture, and lore. Wide-ranging, it covers over 4,000 important events involving the native peoples of North America in a unique day-by-day format.

The thousands of entries in This Day in North American Indian History weave a compelling and comprehensive mosaic of North American Indian history spanning more than five millennia-every entry an exciting opening into the fascinating but little- known history of American Indians.

Over 100 photographs and illustrations - This book has 480 pages, weighs 2.2 pounds and is 8" by 9.5" in size. The Dates, Names and "Moons" section of these pages are based on the book.

This is the cover to my 4th book. 
Click here to got more info, or to order a copy or to get more info.
This is the cover to my 4th book. Click here to got more info, or to order a copy or to get more info."


Native American History For Dummies
. Click on the cover to order a copy or to get more info.
I wrote six of the twenty-four chapters in this book. I am credited with being the technical editor. Book Description:
Native American History For Dummies introduces readers to the thousand-year-plus history of the first inhabitants of North America and explains their influence on the European settlement of the continent. Covering the history and customs of the scores of tribes that once populated the land, this friendly guide features vivid studies of the lives of such icons as Pocahontas, Sitting Bull, and Sacagawea; discusses warfare and famous battles, offering new perspectives from both battle lines; and includes new archaeological and forensic evidence, as well as oral histories that show events from the perspective of these indigenous peoples. The authors worked in concert with Native American authorities, institutions, and historical experts to provide a wide range of insight and information.
This is the cover to my 3rd book. 
Click here to got more info, or to order a copy or to get more info.
This is the cover to my 3rd book. Click here to got more info, or to order a copy or to get more info
Treaties With American Indians I wrote an article and several appendix items for this book. Click on the cover to order a copy or to get more info.
From a review on Amazon.com: *Starred Review* In the 93 years from 1778 until 1871, there were more than 400 treaties negotiated by Indian agents and government officials. These often included more than one tribe and covered a range of issues including ceded lands, payments and annuities, reservations, hunting and fishing rights, provisions for education, sovereignty issues, and more. Although the subject of treaties between American Indians and the U.S. government is vast and complex, editor Fixico and more than 150 contributors have crafted a comprehensive tool that will soon become essential for anyone interested in the topic. Volume 1 contains 22 essays dealing with federal policy, historical periods, regional treaty making, and other topics. The essays vary from 7 to 12 pages, and each contains a bibliography with references and items for further reading. Volume 2 provides short, chronologically arranged entries describing specific terms of both U.S. and Canadian treaties with Indians as well as A–Z entries for significant treaty sites. All entries have see also references and a short bibliography. This volume also contains the text of 40 treaties. The third volume offers a detailed historical chronology with 1- to 2-page entries, followed by biographical profiles of historical and contemporary individuals associated with treaties and Native rights. The third section of this volume contains entries that explain treaty-related issues, such as Assimilation, Doctrine of discovery, and the Trust doctrine. Volumes 1 and 2 have numerous black-and-white illustrations but no maps. A resource section with lists of “Alternate Tribal Names and Spellings,” “Tribal Name Meanings,” Treaties by Tribe,” and “Common Treaty Names” and a bibliography and comprehensive index are repeated in each volume. Both students and librarians will find the arrangement somewhat cumbersome, but it does provide the user with various lenses through which to view this complicated topic, and it makes particular aspects of the topic more manageable. This impressive set has a place in any academic library that supports a Native American studies or American history curriculum. It also would be useful in public libraries where patrons are interested in the subject. It is the most comprehensive source of information on Canadian-Indian treaties and U.S.-Indian treaties. Also available as an e-book.

"The Wacky World of Laws"
It was just released in May 2009.
The Wacky World of Laws. Click on the cover to order a copy or to get more info.

The Wacky World of Laws is a compilation of U.S. and International Laws that are out of the ordinary. With the U.S. churning out 500,000 new laws every year and 2 million regulations annually, this book is the ideal go-to book fro everyone who wants a good laugh at the expense of our legal system. Law so often can be boring! Now with The Wacky World of Laws, you can be the hit of any water cooler conversation, and amaze your friends with precious legal nuggets.

I wrote most of this book. It is my fifth book.













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